A stand alone is an all in one DVR and Multiplexer/Quad. Typically, though not always, a Stand alone has push buttons or an IR Remote, and no Mouse or Keyboard. They have an Embedded Operating System (on CHIP not on the HDD) and are generally non Windows. Most are Embedded Linux and some more expensive ones use an Embedded RTOS (Real Time Operating System). This means they dont use standard PC Components, most have been specially built or modified for their purpose.
Embedded Windows XP models are also available but are not as common due to price. The main advantage to the Windows XP embedded units is you can obtain speeds and features which can not typically be duplicated in other embedded DVRs. The disadvantage is similar to a normal Windows PC Card system, where it is vulnarable to Viruses and Worms; though if set up properly, the chance of this lowers considerably.
A PC Card is simply that, you use a Desktop PC with either Windows or less common, Linux, installed, and put the Card inside it. You must then install the DVR server software, burn it all for a period of time to ensure sure there are no Hardware conflicts and the software is installed properly, and you have a DVR. Most PC Cards also have a form of multiplexing, and some of them use programming on the Card itself to perform CPU dependent functions such as Compression and Multiplexing, while most still perform this in the DVR Server software. Some extremely cheap DVR Cards only record in very low quality and do not multiplex the signal at all.
As for price difference, that depends on the DVR card, some are cheap and some are high quality. The main difference in price is the actual software that comes with the DVR card also, that it is stable and has alot of features, brings the price right up.
Same with the Standalones, there are very cheap ones that have very few features, then there are much more expensive ones loaded with features.
As with some of the very cheap PC Cards, cheap Standalones can encounter problems also, causes ranging from bad hardware to poorly written software, which can cause system freezes among many other issues.
Embedded Windows XP models are also available but are not as common due to price. The main advantage to the Windows XP embedded units is you can obtain speeds and features which can not typically be duplicated in other embedded DVRs. The disadvantage is similar to a normal Windows PC Card system, where it is vulnarable to Viruses and Worms; though if set up properly, the chance of this lowers considerably.
A PC Card is simply that, you use a Desktop PC with either Windows or less common, Linux, installed, and put the Card inside it. You must then install the DVR server software, burn it all for a period of time to ensure sure there are no Hardware conflicts and the software is installed properly, and you have a DVR. Most PC Cards also have a form of multiplexing, and some of them use programming on the Card itself to perform CPU dependent functions such as Compression and Multiplexing, while most still perform this in the DVR Server software. Some extremely cheap DVR Cards only record in very low quality and do not multiplex the signal at all.
As for price difference, that depends on the DVR card, some are cheap and some are high quality. The main difference in price is the actual software that comes with the DVR card also, that it is stable and has alot of features, brings the price right up.
Same with the Standalones, there are very cheap ones that have very few features, then there are much more expensive ones loaded with features.
As with some of the very cheap PC Cards, cheap Standalones can encounter problems also, causes ranging from bad hardware to poorly written software, which can cause system freezes among many other issues.
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